OPINION:
On Tuesday night, Americans saw President Trump proclaim that the new Golden Age of America has begun.
Early in his address to a joint session of Congress, he reminded the American people that legislation was unnecessary to start securing the border. All they needed was a new president. As proof, he pointed out that border crossings in February, his first full month back in office, plummeted 94% from a year ago. Mr. Trump designated the cartels that have controlled the open border as terrorist organizations and accepted the extradition of cartel bosses from Mexico to further advance public safety.
For working families who expect fairness in trade to bolster economic growth, job creation and higher wages, Mr. Trump announced his reciprocal trade policy. He promised to lower barriers to entry to global markets for American farmers and autoworkers.
Since Mr. Trump’s election, we have seen hundreds of billions of dollars of investment by some of the greatest companies in the world in onshore operations in the United States. Nevertheless, Mr. Trump promised that even more prosperity will come home when Congress delivers on its promise to renew his tax cuts and his deregulatory agenda unleashes American energy and innovation.
He praised families and heroes at the front lines of illegal immigration. In the most touching moment of the night, he fulfilled the dream of a terminal cancer patient child, DJ Daniel, by ordering the director of the Secret Service to make DJ a Secret Service agent. Mr. Trump announced the admission to West Point of a cadet whose father, grandfather and great-grandfather served our country and their communities. He praised a steelworker and his wife who had seven children and cared for 40 foster children. He highlighted Americans who symbolize the indomitable spirit of America.
The president revealed a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicating a willingness to engage in a mineral rights agreement with the United States and negotiate with Russia for peace in Eastern Europe.
In highlighting the inflation-busting work of Elon Musk and DOGE, the president listed a number of insane spending items being cut, including entitlement fraud affecting millions of people who, if real, would be as old as Methuselah.
In the face of the president’s frenzied pace, the Democrats appear stuck. Their response to the speech was to sit stone-faced. They didn’t just refuse to cheer for tax cuts or border security. They refused to stand when the president announced that the U.S. took custody of the terrorist who perpetrated the Abbey Gate attack in Afghanistan.
What message are Democrats attempting to send to voters? The capturing of a terrorist who killed Marines is a victory for the nation as a whole, not a partisan victory.
Some Democrats appear to realize that the angry reactions, childish bingo paddles and Rep. Al Green’s outburst won’t land well. Former Kamala Harris aide Symone Sanders said, “Why are democrats just sitting there? The signs are not landing.”
The Democrats in Congress are clearly out of touch at this moment in our history, and it was a surreal display, to be sure. The president of the United States outlined his early successes and his goals for making the country stronger and more prosperous. According to CBS’s snap poll, more than three-quarters of Americans approved of the speech. Yet the Democrats reacted with unhinged hostility.
Mr. Trump has been blessed with a wonderful family, exceptional instincts, unmatched resilience and pride in the United States. He has also been blessed with enemies who seem intent on strengthening him further every chance they get.
Mr. Trump announced a new era for the American dream, and the American people are ready for it — whether the Democrats like it or not.
• Brian Morgenstern served as special assistant to President Trump and deputy assistant secretary of the Treasury during the first Trump administration.
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